What Causes Sewage Damage?

One of the most common causes of water damage in homes is sewage backup – and while it’s a horrible event that can leave you frustrated and concerned about the state of your home, working with a professional sewage cleanup company in Ann Arbor can help alleviate your stress and get your life back to normal.

What Causes Sewage Damage?

There are generally four causes for sewage damage:

Solid flushes

Structural defects

Root infiltration

City sewer backup or surges

Solid Flushes

Probably the most common way for sewer water to damage your home starts with a solid flush. This occurs when there’s a blockage in the pipeline between your home and the city main. Solid objects in the line, like diapers, toys or garbage – anything that doesn’t decompose naturally – can cause a backup. (This writer knew someone who had an old Barrel of Monkeys game stuck in his pipes.)

Structural Defects

Structural defects like misaligned pipes, cracks and holes can lead to sewage overflow. Sometimes these defects are there from the beginning; sometimes they develop over time.

Root Infiltration

Roots are strong – and they can enter the water pipeline at joints and spread throughout it. They can also crack or completely break sewage pipes, which is an immediate disaster.

City Sewer Backup or Surges

When the city’s sewage lines back up, wastewater can overflow into homes. In homes with basements, the overflow generally starts there (it’s the lowest point in the home). It can come up through drains and toilets, and it can fill a basement quickly.

Do You Need Help With Sewer Cleanup?

ExactRecon can help you get your home or business back to its original condition after a sewer backup or contamination with clean, gray or black water.